What it is:
A limited-edition collaboration between Clinique and Crayola™ Crayons for a collection of Chubby Stick™ for the lips.

What it does:
Get vibrant, nourishing color in sheer-to-intense shades with Clinique Crayola Chubby Sticks. They’re loaded with mango and shea butters so that lips are left feeling comfortably soft and smooth.

What else you need to know:
These products are allergy tested and free of fragrance, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, DPB (dibutyl phthalate), and camphor.

How to Use

Apply directly to lips. For subtle definition outline lips first, then fill in with natural-looking colour. Never needs sharpening: simply swivel up to reveal more lip colour balm.

My Thoughts:

I’ve had great results with various products from Clinique, so when I saw this product on sale, I knew it would be worth it. Occasionally, I will browse, out of boredom, on Sephora just to see what products go on sale, and every now and then, get suckered into buying a product because of FOMO. Marketing tactics make us anxious to get a product out of fear that it’ll never be available again, so we need to get it now. Well, that tactic worked with this product, but I didn’t end up feeling cheated or manipulated like some products leave me.

I’m not sure why Clinique wanted to partner with Crayola, maybe it was just to sell the nostalgia, but the product is the same as their regular colors, just with Crayola trademarked color names. What does that mean for me and everyone else that caught this on sale? Score. That means I got a high-quality product that I know is going to work well for me, without having to pay even half of the price of the traditional colors in their line, all because of some words on the label. What I think that they’re marketing team didn’t take into consideration was that consumers would love the nostalgia behind this, but most grown adults don’t want to look like they’re using over-sized crayons on their face, especially when in public or in a situation that requires formality and high professionalism.

Here comes the double-edged sword: I agree and disagree with those negative reviews online. While I do respect someone wanting to look their best, especially in a situation where they’re wanting to be taken as a serious, business professional, that shouldn’t mean you deprive yourself of something you know will bring you joy, from the nostalgia and from the quality of product behind the packaging. A simple fix to that complaint would be to have a designated lip product that makes you feel empowered and confident for those impactful moments, and use this when you’re at home or just enjoying a casual day. Personally, I almost never use this alone, I like to use this as a preparatory step in my makeup routine to keep my lips moisturized while I do my makeup and I can achieve an easy lip application at the end. One of the things I’ve respected most and love about Clinique is they prioritize skincare, and makeup comes in second, so I feel confident that regardless how this product ends up looking, that my skin is in good hands. Even if I wanted to return this product because the pigment wasn’t as strong as I wanted it to be, I wouldn’t have to worry about having a breakout or other skin reaction because of their track record and integrity to uphold skincare before anything else.

Performance/Wear: ★★★★★/5

This is a winner, all-around, for me. There isn’t a single issue I have with this product. The application is easy and quick, and there’s no drag that causes tugging of the skin. This is one of their more-pigmented colors, but it is still flattering for many looks and all complexions. I get the immediate gratification from the mango and shea butter benefits as the first application intensely moisturizes my lips, and I can feel the light weight of the conditioning layer on top of my lips, assuring continuous moisture during its wear. Another benefit of this being a tinted balm is you get the best of color added to your lips, without the worries of some lipstick or lipgloss formulas, like bleeding or staining. Yes, the product does transfer, but it is slight and subtle, so worrying about gross smears around your lips from eating or drinking are not a concern here. Since it does transfer, you would have to carry it with you to reapply throughout the day, but that’s a worthy trade-off, in my opinion, for moisturized, healthy lips, that those mattifying formulas don’t always guarantee.

Some of the colors can double as blushes, bronzers, eyeshadows, or luminizers, depending on your skin tone, just keep in mind that the tint is still going to be light, regardless how you apply it in your makeup look. Another great benefit of this lip balm is that there isn’t a scent, which makes it safe for people who have headaches or migraines that are easily-triggered by certain scents.

Price: ★★★★★/5

Since I got in on sale, I’m already doing a happy dance for how great of a deal this was, but even at its retail price, it’s a good deal. My usual lip balm favorite has been from Fresh, but this offers some fair comparison, without the lemonade scent and subtle taste that the Fresh lip balms have in them. Since the formula is thick and rich with moisturizing benefits, a little goes a long way with each application, further extending the value of this product.

Packaging: ★★★★★/5

I have to give credit where credit is due and it was due yesterday, for this product. I LOVE that they use a twist-up (swivel-up, as described on their site.) tube for their packaging, instead of wood packaging that requires sharpening. With this packaging, consumers get to maximize their use of this product, without having to throw away half of their product on shavings. My only other request would’ve been if they use some kind of divot, that would lock or “click” the lid into place, assuring that it stays closed while not in use. It’s quite frustrating to open up my bag and find that my lid wiggled off and has been smearing all over the other items in my bag, which wastes product and can possibly ruin other items in my bag. I’m not saying that to imply that this product might have dangerous ingredients in it, so, I’ll use an example. For instance, most purses or bags are manufactured with a combination of materials and textures, like cloth and faux-leather. Trying to remove a waxy lip balm with a tint in it is no easy feat, even for a dry cleaner, especially if you have a bust schedule and can’t drop everything to get said bag to a dry cleaner the moment the product comes into contact. What usually happens is it isn’t noticed until after it’s already had time to set into the fibers, possibly creating a stain that won’t ever come out. So, just be cautious if you want to keep this in a bag that has a lot of sentimental value and requires more maintenance and care.

Despite the lid, the rest of the packaging is quite durable. A quick fix I’ve used is simply using a strip of tape to keep the lid on the tube. I know that seems tacky, but it works so I’m able to carry this product with me and reapply throughout the day and not get it all over the inside of my bag. Inside my bag, this gets rubbed against by various items like my keys, crystals, cards, coins, etc. Despite all those things causing friction against the label, the lettering and detail remains intact every time. Now, I know that won’t be the case forever, but I’m impressed how well it’s held up against some of those abrasive items.